Writing The Ship: Eleven Best Free Agency Fits For The Buccaneers

The NFL offseason is about to heat up and free agency is about to begin. The Tampa Bay Buccaneers are expected to be heavily involved as they not only have several key free agents, but are also looking to retool a defense that struggled last year. They will need to bring in two starting linebackers, a pass rusher as well as a defensive lineman.

The Bucs also have a few key offensive players hitting the market. Starters like Mike Evans and Cade Otton as well as back up running back Rachaad White and back up quarterback Teddy Bridgewater. Needless to say, there is a lot of work to be done. 

There have been a lot of rumors swirling around as free agency rapidly approaches. Regardless of the outside noise, I have a few targets in mind as to who the team should target. Here are my eleven best free agency fits for the Buccaneers.

AJ Epenesa, Defensive Line

I’m not sure if Epenesa is the perfect fit, but he can give you something as both an edge and a hand in the dirt defensive lineman. He’s a physical pass rusher who can collapse the pocket and play the run. What really stands out beyond his versatility are the connections he has to the Bucs. 

Obviously his former defensive line coach Marcus West, who helped Epenesa jump to three straight years of 6+ sacks, is the Bucs defensive line coach now. Epenesa was also college teammates with All Pro left tackle Tristian Wirfs at Iowa. There is something to be said about reuniting with the people who you respect the most.

Sam Howell, Quarterback

The Buccaneers are in need of a backup quarterback. Ideally someone with good physical tools like arm strength and mobility. Even better if that player has starting experience.

Howell checks all the boxes. He has 18 career starts under his belt, including one full season where he led the league in passing attempts. This is the type of backup where you really wouldn’t have to change much of the offense if Baker Mayfield had to miss time.

Tyler Conklin, Tight End

There is a good chance that Cade Otton leaves in free agency. This leagues Payne Durham and Devin Culp as the next in line to compete for the starting tight end job. This is bad because both are fringe NFL players.

Conklin is coming off a bad year where he was a healthy scratch for the last most of the season with the Los Angeles Chargers. However, He’s had multiple years of 500+ receiving yards in his past, so he has a history of production that the in-house candidates just don’t bring. He makes a good safety net as a starter, who would ideally be a backup should the Bucs draft a more well rounded option. 

Leo Chanel, Linebacker

If the Buccaneers are really trying to get bigger, then this is a good start. Chanel is a 250 lb linebacker, but he’s also a very good athlete who can make plays sideline to sideline. Todd Bowles could really maximize an athlete like this.

Chanel is looking for a starting opportunity and the Bucs will likely have two openings. Even if the team signs him and he turns into the third linebacker then that’s okay too. As a depth play he brings a good deal of special teams value and playoff experience. 

Brian Robinson, Running Back

Many will link Tyler Allgeier to the Bucs due to his obvious connection to Zac Robinson. On top of that, Allgeier would bring a skill set that the Buccaneers desperately need. With that said, I believe that Robinson brings the same skill set at a fraction of the price. 

If Bucky Irving is the zoom then Robinson would be the boom. He brings a straight forward, run you over type of style that the Bucs need. This will be a big help in short yardage and red zone situations.

Tim Settle, Defensive Tackle

The Buccaneers run defense isn’t awful, but it also isn’t the shutdown unit it was during their Super Bowl run. They have smaller defensive linemen such as Calijah Kancey and Elijah Roberts and could use some more size upfront. Enter Tim Settle.

Settle was an important contributor to the Houston Texans defense over the last few years. He’s very strong at the point of attack and would be a big help to this Buccaneers run defense. He’s also popped off for 5.0 sacks a couple of times in his career, so he isn’t completely one dimensional. 

Alex Anzalone, Linebacker

If Lavonte David isn’t back next year, the Bucs could use an experienced veteran to run the linebacking room. Anzalone is exactly that type of player. He has been the heart and sole of the Detroit Lions defense over the last few years, but they wanted to pass the torch on to a younger player moving forward.

Anzalone still has a good amount left in the tank. He is well rounded in his run defense and coverage skills. And going into his age 32 season he probably won’t come with the price tag as some of the bigger names on this list. 

Rasul Douglas, Cornerback

It is fair to have questions about the Buccaneers cornerback situation. Zyon McCollum is coming off a terrible year. Benjamin Morrison had flashes, but was up and down as a rookie last year. It would be wise to have a quality veteran who can step in and start if either of those two isn’t up to the task. 

Douglas has 43 starts over the last three seasons. He is now in his early 30’s, so there may be some fear that he will slow down in the not too distant future. However, as a short term solution, I would feel a lot better about the Bucs secondary with a player like him as a safety net.

Malcolm Koonce, Edge

In 2023, Koonce had 8.0 sacks in 11 starts. Then just before the 2024 season he tore his ACL and meniscus. Now he is recovered and has a year of playing experience under his belt following his surgery. 

Koonce is an explosive speed rusher that would be a nice complement to Yaya Diaby. And now that he can focus on training rather than rehabilitation this offseason, there is reason to believe he can flirt with double digit sacks again. Some might look at this as a bargain bin signing, with it’s the type of low risk high reward signing that championship teams always make. 

Mike Evans, Wide Receiver

Sometimes the best answer is the most obvious one. Everyone knows how good Mike Evans is and what he can bring to this offense. Not just in pure production, but in taking the top off the defense and making life easier for everyone else around him. 

The Buccaneers probably have one big contract in them this offseason and if that is for Evans then it’s money well spent. I believe that elite strengths win championships and with him this offense has elite pass catchers. We all want Evans to be a Bucs for life….we will see if he really wants that as well.

Devin Lloyd, Linebacker

This is the dream scenario for the Buccaneers this offseason. Lloyd is an All Pro linebacker entering the prime of his career. He is very good in coverage and would immediately solve most of the problems the Bucs had at the second level last year.

Because linebacker isn’t viewed as a premium position, Lloyd will come cheaper than I believe he should. He’s the type of player that can help bring this defense up to Super Bowl caliber in one offseason. If it were me, it would be a full court press to make this signing happen.

For more from J.T. click here, then make sure to follow him on Twitter.